Sending Secure Email

Notes:

The Secure Email service does not automatically insert the email into the official medical record.

Secure email that is sent to Stanford's mailing list service (@lists.stanford.edu) must be sent to a secure mailing list. Otherwise, it will be rejected.See Setting up a Secure Mailing List for more information.

Secure email that is sent using the old outgoing server setting (smtp-secure.stanford.edu) will automatically get routed to the current Secure Email outgoing server (smtp.stanford.edu). After September 20, 2010, messages sent through smtp-secure.stanford.edu will receive certificate errors.

Email with "Secure:" anywhere in the subject line is routed through the Secure Email server unless it is going to a trusted domain (e.g., a Stanford Email account, @lpch.org, @stanfordmed.org). Trusted domains receive secure email directly without having to verify identity.

Always include "Secure:" somewhere in the Subject line for every message that contains Prohibited, Restricted, or Confidential data. While your intended recipient may have an @stanford.edu, @lpch.org, or @stanfordmed.org address, you do not know where the message will be automatically forwarded or manually resent after being read by the original recipient.

If you reply to a secure email, your reply will be sent securely provided that "Secure:" is somewhere in the Subject line. You do not need to remove the "RE:" from the Subject line.

Do not initiate a secure email from a non-Stanford email server (including the GSB Google mail server).

To send secure email:

If you are sending a message using a desktop client such as Outlook or Apple Mail, verify that your client is configured correctly. See Configuring Your Email Program to check your settings. The Secure Email settings are the same as those for regular email.

If you are sending a message using Webmail, your settings are correct so no action is required.

Put Secure: anywhere in the subject line of the message and then continue typing your subject line. (Be sure to include the colon.)
Example subject line: Secure: Regarding Your Appointment